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Woman found dead in Grand Canyon after several days of searching | National Parks


Woman found dead in Grand Canyon after several days of searching | National Parks

A 20-year-old woman was found dead in the Grand Canyon after a search lasting several days.

In a statement, the National Park Service (NPS) announced that it found a body below Twin Overlooks along Desert View Drive on Tuesday. The body was transported to the rim and transferred to the Coconino County Coroner’s Office.

The person has been identified as 20-year-old Leticia A. Castillo of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Officials say Castillo entered the Grand Canyon on or about August 3. The National Park Service and the medical examiner’s office are currently conducting an investigation.

According to the National Park Service, the discovery of Castillo’s body is the third reported death in the Grand Canyon since July 31.

On July 31, park rangers recovered the body of 20-year-old Abel Joseph Mejia of Hickory, North Carolina, who fell from the edge about a quarter mile west of the Pipe Creek Overlook.

Mejia was near the crater’s rim when he accidentally fell, park officials said, adding that visitors should always keep a safe distance of at least 2 meters from the crater’s rim and stay behind railings and fences at viewing points.

A day later, the Grand Canyon’s regional communications center received a report that a visitor had attempted to base jump from Yavapai Point on the park’s southern rim. Park rangers responded and found the body of a dead man about 500 feet below the rim, along with a deployed parachute, the park said.

The victim was reportedly identified as 43-year-old Justin Guthrie of St. Anne, Missouri.

In a statement released after Guthrie’s death, the NPS warned that base jumping was a “high-risk activity” and was prohibited in all areas of the Grand Canyon.

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